Belhaven Scottish Wee Heavy

[backwoods]

Any fans of Belhaven Scottish Wee Heavy on board? I had been eying this brew for a few years at the local distributor and only within the last few months decided to finally pick up a bottle.

Unfortunately I made the mistake (in my estimation) of giving a full day in the fridge before drinking and I was nonplussed with the taste (it reminded me of most higher alcohol per volume drinks namely the alcohol taste seemed to predominate.)

The next morning I drained a little of the "dregs" from the bottle from what was left over (guilty confession!) and actually found that warm it tasted better... A little research and I see that this is recommended to be imbibed at around 60 Fahrenheit - for those who take the Wee Heavy either regularly or on occasion, what's your preferred method of serving, temperature, etc.?

[AKScott]

In general the heavier/darker/higher alcohol content (higher specific gravity really) a beer has, the warmer it should be served.

When in doubt, go with what the brewer reccomended on the label. My six dollar baking thermometer happens to reach down to the typical beer serving temperatures.

The only beer I regularly serve below 40dF is American made fizzy yellow water.

[ForresterModern]

I have drunk Bellhaven Scottish ale as well as several other scottish ales and they all definitely taste better IMHO at room temperature or maybe ever so slightly chilled. I have on several occasions happily nursed a pint or pitcher of same for a whole night in a bar without ever noticing a flatness or taste change (particulalry on nights where I was on some form of call and could only drink one without risking claims of practicing medicine under the influence had I been called in for duty).

For most of the classic beers/ales I always remember that in the bad old days there was no refrigeration so beer was typically drunk at room temp. It was pretty much only after repeal of Prohibition that, due to less full bodied beers taking over popularity in the US, bars began chilling beers to blunt the tastebuds a bit and make the popular and available brews of the day taste better, or less bitter, than at room temp. That is why these same mass produced American Lager beers typically taste pretty horrible warm and go flat quickly as they warm. Thank god for homebrewing, microbrews, and imports for bringing quality fullbodied beers back into popularity, and greater production levels, again.

[Jock Scot]

With tongue placed firmly in my cheek.

There you go, see what happens when you colonials get hold of a perfectly good drink, perfected over hundreds, possibly thousands of years, then you lot come along, using umpteen billion barrels of oil to cool the perfect brew that does not need cooling and then -----------------------you ruin it!

Jock now dives swiftly for cover!

[ThistleDown]

Move over, Jock! For heaven's sake, man, make a bit of room for your old mate.

[Andy Proffitt]

Greatest of all, and slightly chilled is the way to go. Two other good (but not as good) Wee Heavies: Broughton Old Jock Ale and French Broad Brewing Co. Wee Heavy-er.

[English Bloke]

Belhaven best from Keg can now be bought "extra cold". On a recent visit to Dumfries I found a few pubs only offer this and no longer do the standard Belhaven so it must be popular.



I'm no beer snob but I'm always a bit dubious of a beer that requires a push of a button to serve it rather than a handle to be pulled. I can see the business advantage in producing a consistent beer which tastes the same in Dundee as it does in Detroit but it does take all the fun (and more importantly the taste) out of drinking it. A similar argument could be applied to artificial colour and chill filtering of Malt Whisky.

[MacGumerait]

With tongue placed firmly in my cheek.

There you go, see what happens when you colonials get hold of a perfectly good drink, perfected over hundreds, possibly thousands of years, then you lot come along, using umpteen billion barrels of oil to cool the perfect brew that does not need cooling and then -----------------------you ruin it!

Jock now dives swiftly for cover!

No need to dive for cover Jock ! I am a second generation colonial whose family came from Scotland . I first drank Belhaven ( standard brew ) back in the mid 1980's ( loved it ) and quickly understood that it should be served at room temperature or slightly chilled , ever so slightly . I assume the same is true for the " Wee Heavy " brew .

Don't loose faith , once we colonials learn the brew and the proper way of drinking the brew , we often embrace it whole heartdly .

Best Regards , Mike

[Jock Scot]

Move over, Jock! For heaven's sake, man, make a bit of room for your old mate.

I have never ceased to be amazed how even a rugby ball sized boulder to hide behind when the bullets start flying looks welcoming and a boulder the size of a lorry is never big enough. Just mind where you are putting those feet, Rex!

[MacSpadger]

There is a space in the back room that is reserved for proper beers. Sitting on a cool tiled floor next to a cool brick wall, the temperature is ideal for these climes. We survived until the 1990's without any kind of fridge and my beer drinking certainly did not suffer, often to the chagrin of my wife.

Putting any ale in a fridge will knacker it. Even our humble soft drink, Irn Bru, will go flat and tasteless overnight if put in a fridge. Fridges are for foodstuffs and continental lagers where thirst quenching, not taste is the main priority.

It's only my own personal opinion of course, but I am suspicious of any drink that has to be so cold that it numbs your taste buds before it's deemed acceptable to quaff.